Learning Later in Life It's often said that we learn things at the wrong time. U

Learning Later in Life

It's often said that we learn things at the wrong time. University students frequently (经常) do the minimum amount of work because they're crazy for a good social life instead. Children often scream before their piano practice because it's so boring, have to be given gold stars and medals to be persuaded to swim, or have to be bribed (给予奖励) to take exams. But when you're older? Ah, now that's a different story.

Over the years, I've done my share of adult learning. At 30 I went to a college and did courses in History and English. It was an amazing experience. For starters, I was paying, so there was no reason to be late---I was the one frowning (皱眉) and drumming my fingers if the teacher was delayed, not the other way round. Indeed, if I could persuade him to linger, it was a prize, not a trouble. I wasn't frightened to ask questions and homework was a pleasure not a pain. When I passed, I had passed for me and me alone, not my parents or my teachers. The satisfaction I got was entirely personal. Some people fear going back to school because they worry that their brains have got show. But the joy is that, although some parts have been dull sometimes, your brain has learnt all kinds of other things since you were young. It's learnt to think independently and flexibly and is much better at relating one thing to another. What you lose in the dull department, you gain in the maturity (成熟) department.

In some ways, age is a positive plus. For instance, when you're older, you get more self-controlled. Experience has told you that, if you're calm and simply do something carefully again and again, at last you'll get the hang of it. The confidence you have in other areas---from being able to drive a car, perhaps---means that if you can't, say, build a chair immediately, you don't, like a child, want to destroy your first pitiful attempts (尝试). Maturity tells you that you will, with application, eventually get there.

(1) What surprised the writer when she did her first adult learning course?

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A．She got on better with her tutor.

B．She was able to learn more quickly.

C．She had a more relaxed attitude to it.

D．She found learning more enjoyable.

(2) The writer says that when you learn later in life, you will find ________.

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A．it boring to take lessons

B．it hard to remember things easily

C．it hard to give all your attention to study

D．it different to learn from when you were younger

(3) According to the writer, what's the advantage of adult learners?

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A．They are able to organize themselves better than younger people.

B．They are less worried about succeeding than younger people.

C．They pay more attention to details than younger people.

D．They have more patience than younger people.

(4) What is the writer's main purpose in the article?

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A．To emphasize the pleasures of adult learning.

B．To point out how easy adult learning can be.

C．To explain her reasons for doing adult learning.

D．To describe the teaching methods used in adult learning.

(5) What does the underlined word linger in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

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A．Go back.B．Delay going.C．Teach them more.D．End classes on time.

试题答案

答案：D;D;A;A;B